Syracuse, NY -- News that an ex-convict was charged with cranking out phony $100 bills and spending them throughout Central New York has led dozens of people who have found counterfeits to call police.

But there is probably thousands of dollars worth of fake hundreds from Cornelius Q. Johnson's counterfeiting operation still out there, Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan said.

Cornelius Q. Johnson

"We believe there is a lot more money out there other than what we've found," he said. "We know there is."

Johnson, 38, of Syracuse, was charged earlier this week with 92 counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony.

Police said Johnson was found with 92 counterfeit $100 bills. He was arraigned in Syracuse City Court and ordered held without bail.

The Syracuse Police Department's Forgery and Financial Crimes Section has been investigating with help from the U.S. Secret Service in Syracuse. Johnson likely had accomplices that helped spread the money out across most of Central New York. Connellan said.

"We're still trying to identify some of the people that are passing these bills," he said.

Tim Kirk, resident agent in charge at the Secret Service's Syracuse office, said counterfeit operations such as the one Johnson was charged with are common.

Criminals can easily obtain scanners, printers and high-quality resume paper to make counterfeits, he said. People making fake $100 bills typically make smaller dollar purchases with the fake bills to get real money in change or refunds, he said.

The Secret Service's Syracuse office receives counterfeits in the mail from banks nearly every day. The fake bills include every denomination, even the occasional $1 bill.

Unfortunately, Kirk said, the business or individual who last possessed the counterfeit is out the money unless they can identify who gave them the bill.